Pointers to Connect with the Influencers on Twitter

I doubt people will disagree with me when I say that social media has brought us closer to those whom we once thought to be unapproachable and inaccessible. While it was (and still is) tough to physically meet such influencers, social media outlets have made it much easier to get yourself noticed by them.

Social media seems to have bridged the huge gap that once existed between the elite and the common people.

As a marketer, these influencers are the aces you need to acquire if you want your campaign to succeed. These influencers wield a voice that is trusted by a huge network of followers. Tapping into this follower-base requires meticulous planning and a systematic approach on your part.a

And in this article I am going to talk about how you’re going to accomplish that using the awesome platform provided by Twitter.

But wait! It’s going to take a lot of time and effort on your part. So, if you’re one of those types who prefer to pitch yourself by bombarding the mailboxes with mass emails – this article isn’t for you.

Read on if you want to build a long-lasting and meaningful relationship with the influencers on twitter.

Seeketh and Ye Shall Find

While some experienced folks already have an idea about who the influencers are in their niche, the inexperienced ones might find it quite difficult. Fret not, for you have FollowerWonk with you! It is one of the best tools out there that can help you find influential Tweeters, better than Twitter’s advanced search.

So if you are a designer based in Mumbai who wants her line up to be noticed by fashionistas, search for people in Mumbai who have ‘fashion’ in their Twitter bio. Let me show you how:

The search above gives me 464 results!!

Sort through the results to find profiles of those who you think possess a great influence on Twitter. Look for people who:

Have a real voice

Have a great following

Tweet regularly

Converse with people

Thank God for Twitter Lists!

Once you find the influencers in your niche, put them in lists. Twitter has this great functionality where you can sort people in lists and track their tweets even when you don’t follow them. Well, you can follow them too but I won’t suggest that. Personally, I don’t want to follow people before I get to know more about them.

Start off with 20 influencers. Don’t try to cram more influencers in the list as it will become very tough to monitor them.

In my case, I have prepared 2 lists. One list has 17 entrepreneurs/SMB owners (my target segment) while the other has 20 social media marketers (my colleagues).

Note: It entirely depends on you whether you want your lists to be private or public. Mine are private.

Watch What They Tweet

This is the easiest part. All you have to do is to relax and watch the tweets roll in. Your job is to understand the influencers.

Twitter is where people express their views. They don’t talk about their profession all the time, they like to talk about other things as well. Just monitor their tweets and observe what their likes, dislikes and passions are.

What do they like to talk about the most? Cricket? Gadgets? Anna Hazare?

What are their political views?

What type of content do they Re-Tweet a lot?

All these observations offer you great insights about the influencers.

Time to Be Awesome!

Now that you know quite a lot about them, it’s time to strike up a conversation. When they talk about happenings in your niche, your replies should carry your expertise. Make them realize that you also are an expert in the niche you both share.

Also, you will be surprised to know that, oftentimes, even the influencers seek help on Twitter. Ensure that you are there when they seek any assistance and impress them with your awesomeness.

If you aren’t remarkable, there’s no way you can influence the influencers.

But don’t restrict yourself to discussing only professional matters. Try to talk about other general things as well. But steer clear of politics and religion, you don’t want to enter a minefield.

Patience is a Virtue

Be patient my friend. While you may follow them after just 2 days of interaction, don’t expect them to follow you back. Just continue interacting with them on a regular basis, and keep impressing them with your expertise.

After several weeks, or even months they will eventually follow you back. In fact, I know one person who followed me back after 6 months!

However, make sure that you don’t slack off after they connect with you. Your job has just begun. Keep working on building a healthy relationship with them.

These are the strategies that I have personally used and they’ve worked very well for me. And if they can work for me, I doubt why they won’t work for you.

If you have any doubts or want to add your 2 cents, please feel free to comment below.

A digital marketing guy since 2008, I have helped several startups, SMBs and brands. Mad about analytics, data, social media and idli-sambhar. An engineer who fell in love with digital at the first sight. Follow my thoughts on Twitter at: @RakeshTheKumar